Accountant
Accountants prepare, examine and advise on financial records so organisations stay accurate, compliant and financially healthy.
- Median salary
- $104,200
3.6%vs last year, before tax
- People employed
- 215,500
2.3%vs last year
- Projected growth
- +16.6%
to 2035
- AI exposure*
- Moderate
- automation risk
- Average hours
- 43/wk
+3h vs all jobs
- Shortage status
- Not in shortage
national
Accountants plan and provide accounting systems and services relating to taxation and the financial dealings of organisations and individuals. They advise on record-keeping and compliance requirements, prepare financial statements, and analyse the financial position of a business. Most work full-time in professional services firms, government, or in-house finance teams.
How much do accountants earn?
The median full-time salary for an accountant is $104,200 per annum, before tax, up $21,700 since 2018.
Pay varies widely for accountants. Specialisation moves the number most, tax, audit and business advisory roles typically pay above bookkeeping-adjacent work, and firm size, seniority and location matter too: capital-city and resources-sector roles tend to sit above the median, while senior and partner-level accountants earn well beyond it.
What does an accountant do day to day?
The list below is what fills most weeks; the exact mix shifts with seniority and whatever stage the current work is at.
- Preparing financial statements for presentation to boards, management and statutory bodies
- Preparing and lodging tax returns and advising on taxation strategy
- Examining operating costs and organisations' income and expenditure
- Providing assurance about the accuracy of information in financial reports
- Advising on business structures, systems and record-keeping
- Maintaining internal control systems and advising on risk
What skills do accountants need?
Employers look for financial reporting, tax compliance and planning, auditing and assurance, backed by Excel fluency and strong attention to detail.
Specialist skills
- Financial reporting
- Tax compliance and planning
- Auditing and assurance
- Budgeting and forecasting
- Management accounting
- Risk and internal controls
Software and tools
- Excel
- Xero
- MYOB
- SAP
- Power BI
General skills
- Attention to detail
- Written communication
- Problem solving
- Client relationship management
- Time and deadline management
Is the job growing?
About 215,500 people work as accountants in Australia, and employment is projected to grow 16.6% over the decade to 2035. That's healthy, above-average growth, and the role should stay in solid demand.
How do you become an accountant?
Here's the path most accountants take, step by step.
- 1Complete an accredited accounting degree
A bachelor degree in accounting or a related field accredited by CPA Australia, CA ANZ or IPA. Usually 3 years full-time; graduate-entry masters are a common alternative for career changers.
- 2Gain entry-level experience
Graduate programs in professional services firms, corporate finance teams or government. Many start in accounts-adjacent roles (bookkeeping, accounts payable) while studying.
- 3Complete a professional program (CPA, CA or IPA)
Most employers expect progress toward CPA Australia, Chartered Accountants ANZ or IPA membership. Typically two to three years part-time alongside mentored work experience.
- 4Specialise
Common paths include tax, audit, management accounting, forensic accounting and business advisory. Specialisation drives most of the pay growth after year 5.
Ready to apply as an accountant?
Whether you're working toward becoming an accountant or already are one and want a hand with the next step (sharpening your resume for ATS screening, tightening your cover letter, or knowing what you'll actually be asked at interview), here are examples grounded in this specific role, not generic templates.
What jobs can an accountant move to?
Moving into Financial Controller typically comes with the biggest pay rise, worth $46,800 a year more on average.
| Move to | Typical pay change | Overlap | Retraining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Financial Controller Financial controllers draw on accounting and compliance knowledge to lead financial reporting and controls in an organisation.Known move | +$46,800 | 67% | minimal |
| External Auditor External auditors use accounting and compliance skills to examine financial statements, needing a short course for audit practice.Known move | +$5,200 | 54% | short course |
| Treasurer Treasurers build on accounting and financial analysis to manage cash, funding and financial risk, with further study.Known move | +$5,200 | 40% | reskill |
| Management Accountant Management accountants use accounting expertise for internal reporting, budgeting and analysis, though specialising in this area may require further study.Known move | +$0 | 19% | requalify |
| Tax Agent Tax agents apply accounting knowledge to prepare returns and advise on tax, with registration and a short course.Known move | −$10,600 | 46% | short course |
Moves are chosen from Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility, which follows income tax records between 2011-12 and 2020-21, together with entry requirements and skill overlap. A known move is one people were seen making in that data. Pay change compares median full-time pay for the two roles.
Who works as an accountant?
The typical accountant is 42 years old; 54% are women, 84% work full-time, and full-timers average 43 hours a week.
- 42
- Median age
- 54%
- Female share
- 84%
- Full-time
- +3h
- vs all-jobs avg
What's it like being an accountant?
Accountants describe a stable, well-paid career with clear progression, balanced against deadline-driven busy seasons and a fair amount of routine work in the early years.
What people like
- Job security and steady demand. Every business needs one. Accountants rarely struggle to find work, and employment is projected to keep growing well ahead of the broader workforce.
- Clear, structured progression. Graduate → senior → manager → partner or CFO is a well-worn path, with pay rising predictably alongside the CPA/CA qualification.
- A portable, versatile qualification. The skills transfer across every industry and most countries, and open doors into advisory, analysis and management roles.
- Solving real business problems. Beyond the ledgers, experienced accountants spend their time advising clients and shaping decisions, work people describe as varied.
What people find hard
- Busy-season crunch. Tax time and end of financial year bring long hours and hard deadlines, June, July and reporting seasons are consistently cited as the toughest stretch.
- Repetitive early-career work. The first few years lean heavily on processing, reconciliation and compliance work before the more interesting advisory work opens up.
- Ongoing compliance and study load. The professional program takes years alongside full-time work, and staying current with tax and reporting rules never really stops.
- Deadline pressure and accountability. Mistakes carry real consequences, statutory sign-off means the buck stops with you, which some find stressful.
Based on our synthesis of professional-body surveys and public accounts of the role, not first-person verified reviews.
Which industries employ accountants?
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services employs the largest share of accountants, followed by Financial and Insurance Services.
Top employing industries
- 1Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
- 2Financial and Insurance Services
- 3Public Administration and Safety
Ranked by employment share; the source doesn't publish an exact percentage per industry.
| Bachelor degree | 56.4% | |
|---|---|---|
| Postgraduate | 29.1% | |
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma | 5.9% | |
| Certificate III/IV | 1.9% | |
| Year 12 or below | 4.7% |
Will AI replace accountants?
Routine processing tasks are highly exposed to automation, but advisory, assurance and judgement work, where most senior accountants spend their time, remains substantially human. Exposure reshapes the role rather than removing it.
Share of typical working time by exposure level
- Advisory and business structuringClient-specific judgement, trust and accountability are hard to automate.25%low
- Preparing standard financial statementsDrafting is increasingly automated; review and sign-off remain human.20%high
- Data entry and transaction codingAlready largely automated in modern practices via bank feeds and OCR.15%high
- Tax return preparationSoftware drafts routine returns; complex structures still need judgement.15%moderate
- Assurance, audit and compliance sign-offStatutory responsibility rests with a registered human practitioner.15%low
- Client relationships and communicationRelationship work grows as routine work shrinks.10%low
Moves least exposed to AI
These career moves from accountant work are rated low for AI exposure:
- Business Advisory Specialist
Client-specific judgement, structuring and trusted-adviser work, the least automatable part of the profession.
- Forensic Accountant
Investigation, evidence and expert testimony need human accountability that software can't carry.
- Finance Manager
Leadership, stakeholder management and commercial decisions sit firmly outside routine processing.
- Internal Auditor
Assurance judgement and statutory sign-off rest with a registered human practitioner.
Common questions about becoming an accountant
Straight answers to the questions people ask most.
How much do accountants earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for an accountant is $104,200 per annum, before tax. This is a guide only, it excludes the effect of experience, and pay varies significantly by seniority, specialisation and location.
How do I become an accountant in Australia?
The standard path is an accredited accounting degree (about 3 years), then a professional program with CPA Australia, CA ANZ or IPA (two to three years part-time while working). Career changers commonly enter via a graduate-entry masters.
Are accountants in demand in Australia?
Accountants are currently not in shortage, and employment is projected to grow 16.6% over the decade to 2035. Demand is strongest in business advisory and audit.
Will accounting be automated by AI?
Parts of it. Routine processing, data entry, drafting standard statements, is highly exposed and already automating. Advisory, assurance and judgement work is far less exposed, and statutory sign-off remains a human responsibility. The role is reshaping rather than disappearing.
What accounting career moves are least exposed to AI?
Judgement-heavy paths hold up best: business advisory, forensic accounting, finance management and internal audit. These lean on client trust, investigation, leadership and statutory sign-off, the parts of the profession automation reshapes least. Routine processing roles (data entry, standard statement preparation) carry the highest exposure.
What jobs can an accountant move into?
Financial Controller is a common step up, typically paying $46,800 more and sharing 67% skill overlap with little extra study. Tax Agent and Auditor are reachable after a short course, and Treasurer draws on much the same skills with some reskilling.
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